A Stillwater Christmas
by Mulderette
Summary: Tony spends Christmas with Gibbs and his father in Stillwater.  Father/son/grandson themes.
1. Heading to Stillwater

**AN: Just a little Christmas story I've been working on. It will most likely be two chapters. Hope you like it :)**

xxxxx

"Merry Christmas," Gibbs said as Ziva and McGee headed out, smiling happily. Ziva had been invited by Abby to spend the holiday with her and her family and McGee was flying home that evening to have Christmas with his own family. Ducky had made plans to spend the weekend with his new lady friend with whom he had become quite smitten. Only Tony had remained closed-lipped about his own holiday plans or, as Gibbs strongly suspected, his lack of plans. He silently observed his senior field agent who was leaning back in his chair holding an icepack over an impressive-looking purplish knot on his forehead, courtesy of an overly rambunctious suspect Tony had tackled earlier in the day.

Tony noticed that Gibbs' eyes were on him and turned towards the older man, dropping the icepack to his desk. "Shouldn't you be going, boss? You've got a long drive ahead of you."

"How's your head?" Gibbs asked, ignoring DiNozzo's not too subtle attempt to get rid of him.

"Its fine, boss," Tony said, rolling his eyes. "Ducky said I was fine. You heard him yourself."

"That I did," Gibbs nodded in agreement, a slight smirk touching the corners of his lips.

"What's so funny?" Tony was unable to hide his irritation which told Gibbs just what he needed to know. His agent wasn't quite as fine as he was pretending to be.

"Get your coat, DiNozzo," Gibbs said as he stood up. "I'm taking you home."

"What? No way, boss," Tony protested. "I'm perfectly capable of driving myself home."

"You look like crap. I'm taking you home." Gibbs was speaking in a tone that clearly said not to argue with him, so Tony merely mumbled under his breath as he retrieved his coat, and continued to do so as they walked through the garage.

"What's that?" Gibbs asked as they headed towards his car.

"I said, how am I supposed to go all weekend without a car?" Tony made one last effort to try to get home on his own.

"Take a taxi to pick it up in the morning...You can put it on your expense account, okay?"

"That's kind of a pain in the ass," Tony responded, glaring at Gibbs, but getting no reaction whatsoever. He finally realized that Gibbs was not going to give in. At this point, he just wanted to go home and sleep. Maybe he'd be lucky enough to sleep right through Christmas day and then he wouldn't have to deal with this supposedly merry holiday again for another year.

xxxxx

Gibbs smiled to himself as he glanced at Tony who was soundly sleeping beside him. Except for DiNozzo's grumbling, this couldn't have been easier. Like taking candy from a baby. Tony had dropped off after only being in the car for a few minutes. There hadn't been time for him to even notice that Gibbs wasn't headed in the direction of his home. They had been driving for over an hour now and the younger man hadn't stirred except for the occasional soft mutterings in his sleep. Eventually, Gibbs pulled the car in front of a diner and gently shook Tony's shoulder. "DiNozzo, wake up."

Tony put his hand over his mouth as he yawned then groaned softly as he opened his eyes and stared outside at the unfamiliar diner. "Boss? Where the heck are we?"

"We're going to get some dinner, come on," Gibbs said before getting out of the car. Tony followed him a few moments later.

"What are you doing?" Tony asked, falling into step beside Gibbs as he walked.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Gibbs asked. "I just told you. I'm getting something to eat and you are too. You haven't eaten a proper meal all day. Chips and candy bars aren't going to sustain you for long."

"Where are we?" By this point, Tony was well aware of what Gibbs had done, but couldn't stop himself from questioning him.

"This place has the best homemade pie. You'll have to get yourself some dessert."

They walked into the diner and a harried-appearing waitress waved at them. "Just sit wherever you want," she directed as she carried a tray to a table.

The two men found an empty booth and Tony looked around. "This place is pretty crowded for Christmas Eve," he observed.

Gibbs nodded as he handed Tony a menu and opened another one himself. "They're open 365 days a year. Popular place with truckers and travelers. Great prices and the food can't be beat."

After perusing the menu, Tony ordered a hot roast beef sandwich and Gibbs decided on the baked ziti. "Why are you doing this?" Tony asked quietly after the waitress scurried away.

"I thought it was a good idea," Gibbs admitted. "So did my dad."

"So he knows I'm coming with you?" Tony asked. "You...you planned to kidnap me?"

Gibbs couldn't help but chuckle. "Kidnapping, DiNozzo? Maybe we drove to your apartment and I couldn't wake you up so I decided to just bring you along."

"Did you?"

"Well, no," Gibbs admitted, shaking his head, still smiling faintly. "But it could have happened that way."

Tony shook his head, obviously distressed by the turn of events. "Christmas is for families, boss," he began. "You and your father don't need me hanging around, ruining things..."

"We want you there, Tony," Gibbs insisted."'Both of us do. You won't ruin anything."

"But why didn't you just ask me then?" Tony asked doubtfully.

"Would you have accepted the invitation?" Gibbs asked.

Tony shrugged. "I don't really know."

"Well, I know," Gibbs said. "You wouldn't have."

"So this is better? Why do you want me there so badly anyhow?"

"Why is it so hard for you to believe that we would want you there?" Gibbs threw the question back at him.

"I don't know, boss..." Tony began. "Christmas and I have never really gotten along all that well. My parents used to have these elaborate Christmases, perfect tree, perfect food, perfect presents...at least in their eyes anyway, but not for me. My dad told me there was no Santa Claus when I was five years old. 'You're not a baby, Junior,' he said. 'I work hard for what you get and its time for you to know its me, not Santa Claus who puts the presents underneath the tree.' We didn't even decorate the tree...the staff did. I wasn't allowed to touch the ornaments. My mother was too afraid I'd break them. All my friends used to love Christmas, the whole magic of it...for me, it just wasn't like that..."

"Then I think its high time you had a proper Christmas, Tony, don't you?" Gibbs asked, saddened at the thought of Tony as a lonely little boy, not experiencing any of the joys of the holiday the way other children did.

"I think its a little too late for me, boss, don't you?" Tony asked, his expression sad. "I'm not a child anymore..."

"Its never too late for Christmas..."

xxxxx

They ate their dinner and Gibbs bought two pies to have with Christmas dinner the following day. Then they hit the road again. Gibbs turned the radio to a station that was playing Christmas music. Tony didn't seem as out of sorts as he had been earlier and Gibbs was glad he had decided to bring the younger man along. The idea had first come to him about two weeks previously when Ziva, McGee and Abby had been discussing their Christmas plans. Tony hadn't said a word and had looked more and more uncomfortable until the subject had changed. That night, Gibbs had called his father.

"_Hi dad..."_

"_Leroy! Its good to hear from you, son. How are you?"_

"_I'm good, dad. Really good. How are you?"_

"_Can't complain. So, what's up? I don't think you called just for idle chit chat." _

"_No...No, I didn't," Gibbs said with a chuckle. "Its about Christmas..."_

"_I knew it. I just knew it," Jackson said. "I knew you were going to bail out of coming here. Is it work? Is that your excuse?"_

"_For crying out loud, dad," Gibbs said. "Will you let me get a word in? I never said I wasn't coming." _

"_Oh...sorry," Jackson said. "I guess I kind of jumped to conclusions..."_

"_Ya think?"_

"_I said I was sorry, Leroy. What do you want me to say?"_

"_You're right. I'm sorry too," Gibbs said. "Anyway, about Christmas...I was wondering if you mind if I bring a guest?"_

"_Mind? Of course I don't mind. I just didn't know you were seeing anyone. What's her name?" Jackson asked._

"_Its not a her, dad, and I'm not seeing anyone. Its Tony."_

"_Tony, your senior field agent? That Tony?" Jackson couldn't hide his surprise._

"_Yes, he's the one. So is it okay?"_

"_Of course its alright, its just...Are you sure he wants to come? Seems he might have more interesting plans than spending Christmas with us."_

"_He doesn't...I don't think Tony is really all that fond of Christmas. I'd like to show him what he's missing."_

"_And you think we can do that?"_

"_I do."_

_Okay then, let's show young Tony just what Christmas is all about."_

xxxxx

"How's your head?" Gibbs glanced at Tony who was starting to look a little bit sleepy again.

"My head?" Tony shrugged as he reached up and lightly touched his forehead. "Honestly, I had forgotten all about it. Its fine...just a little sore when I touch it."

"Then don't touch it," Gibbs said, smirking.

"So...what exactly do you and your dad do for Christmas, anyhow?" Tony asked.

"You'll see. Nothing fancy," Gibbs replied vaguely.

Suddenly, a look of dismay came over Tony's face. "Boss, I don't even have a gift for your father."

"Don't worry about it," Gibbs said. "My father won't be expecting a gift."

"Even so...its wrong to show up without a gift," Tony said, his green eyes troubled. He had already given Gibbs his traditional gift of a large bottle of Jack..

Gibbs sighed. "This is a holiday...I want you to relax and enjoy it. Stop stressing yourself out over every little thing. Can you please do that for me?"

Tony didn't say anything, he just stared out the window with a dejected look on his face.

Gibbs shook his head. "I thought you'd want to do this. The last time you came to Stillwater, you could hardly contain your excitement. This is your chance to ask my dad whatever you'd like, DiNozzo. I would think you'd like that. Trust me...this is supposed to be a good thing, its not a punishment. Now can you please try to have a good time?"

"Sure...I'll try, boss," Tony said He knew Gibbs was right. He needed to just try to relax and not worry so much. The last thing he wanted to do was to spoil Christmas for Gibbs and his dad.

The rest of the drive was mainly spent in silence. Finally, they arrived in front of Jackson Gibbs' store. Gibbs popped open the trunk and the two men got out of the car. Gibbs pulled a duffel bag out of the trunk and another overnight bag which he tossed to Tony. "Here you go."

"How'd you get this, boss?" Tony asked, recognizing his bag.

"I figured you'd need some clothes and stuff for the weekend," Gibbs replied with a grin. "So I went and picked up some stuff at your apartment this morning."

"Oh...thanks." Gibbs had copies of each of his team members' keys, but Tony figured he would only use it in case of an emergency. He wasn't going to quibble over it though. He was glad that he had his things. However, he was still very uncertain about the weekend, in general. At this point, though, he knew he had no choice but to try to make the best of things. Gibbs wasn't due back at work until Tuesday morning so Tony knew they likely wouldn't be leaving Stillwater until Monday. He took a deep breath as he followed Gibbs towards the front door, hoping that the weekend wouldn't be a total disaster.

To Be Continued...


	2. Christmas Eve

AN: Sorry for the delay in getting out this chapter. I've had an incredibly hard time writing it and still am not entirely happy with it, but wanted to give you something. I'm vowing to have this finished before Christmas though. To those who are reading and reviewing – thank you so much. I truly appreciate each and every one of you :)

xxxxx

"Merry Christmas, son," Jackson enveloped Gibbs in a warm embrace and then turned his attention towards Tony. "Its good to see you, Tony. I'm very glad you could come." He then gave Tony a hug as well. Tony stiffened in surprise, but managed to force himself to relax a bit and returned the hug awkwardly.

"Merry Christmas, sir...I appreciate you having me..."

"Please, just call me Jackson. This one here may have you calling him sir, but I definitely don't stand on that kind of formality."

"Neither do I, dad," Gibbs said with a chuckle. "He knows better than to call me sir."

"So have you eaten?" Jackson asked as they headed towards the back of the store and then walked through the door into the living room. "I have some cheese and crackers and other things you can snack on, but I can fix you something more substantial if you'd like."

Gibbs shook his head. "No, we're good, dad. Ate at Pete's Diner. Tony bought a couple of pies there for tomorrow, as well."

"Well, thank you, Tony, that was thoughtful of you. That place makes some of the best pies I ever did taste."

"You're welcome." Tony said, forcing a smile. He then glared at Gibbs in reaction to the white lie.

"I'll put these into the refrigerator and be right back." Jackson took the pies from Gibbs and headed out into the kitchen.

"Why did you say that, boss?" Tony whispered fiercely once Jackson was out of earshot.

"You were so worried about a gift, I thought it would make you feel better."

"But its not true."

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "Give me twenty bucks for the pies and it will be true, DiNozzo. And will you please try to relax? There's nothing for you to be so nervous about. I don't think I've ever seen you so skittish."

"If you're going to be so worried about how I'm acting, you never should have brought me here," Tony shot back. "Its not like I asked for this."

"I..." Gibbs stopped as Tony's words hit home. He hadn't brought his agent out here to nag at him or make him feel even more uncomfortable, which was what he seemed to be doing. "You're right, DiNozzo. I'm sorry. I'm not going to say anything else."

Jackson came back into the room at that moment, carrying a tray of cheese and crackers. He easily sensed the tension between his son and Tony. "Here's something to eat in case either of you gets hungry," he said.

"Thank you...that's a really beautiful tree, sir...Jackson," Tony said, looking at the tree in the corner of the room admiringly. It was about seven feet tall, green and lush.

"It'll look even better after we decorate it. I took care of the lights already, but there are plenty of ornaments ready and waiting to be put up. I brought most of them downstairs, but there are still a couple of boxes up in the attic," Jackson said, looking meaningfully at Gibbs.

"I'll go get them," Gibbs said, quickly heading out of the room.

"Will he need any help?" Tony asked, ready to go after Gibbs, but Jackson shook his head. "No, no...he'll be fine. The boxes aren't too big at all." There was a long silence and Jackson looked at Tony thoughtfully. "So... I'm under the impression its not really your choice to be spending Christmas here..."

"What? No...I mean, yes...I do want to...I mean, I'm very glad to be here, sir...I mean, Jackson," Clearly flustered, Tony stumbled over the words and his cheeks reddened.

Jackson chuckled. "That son of mine can be pretty persistent when it comes to getting what he wants. Did he back you into a corner?"

"No...he...I fell asleep in his car and he just drove me here," Tony said, smiling in spite of himself.

"He did? You had no idea?" Jackson shook his head incredulously. "Well, not quite sure how that happened. He asked me about you coming with him a couple of weeks ago. I jut assumed he had invited you."

Tony shook his head. "It really is nice to be here...it was just unexpected is all."

"Well, that's certainly understandable. Even if I don't exactly approve of how he did it, I'm glad that Leroy brought you here."

"I'm glad too," Tony said, meaning it. Even if he wasn't particularly thrilled with the way Gibbs had gotten him to Stillwater, he knew Gibbs had his best interests at heart and he now believed that Jackson sincerely did want him to be there.

"Got the rest of the ornaments." Gibbs made no attempt to hide the open curiosity on his face as he came back into the living room. "Everything okay here?"

"Other than you having abducted this young man to get him here, everything's fine," Jackson said, his eyes on Gibbs as he put the ornaments on the floor with the rest of the boxes.

Gibbs sighed. "I just want him to have a nice Christmas...what's so wrong about that?"

"Nothing at all, son, but next time you might just want to try talking to him first, before resorting to such drastic measures."

Gibbs glanced at Tony who was unsuccessfully trying to hide the smirk on his face and smiled. He was glad to see his agent appearing happier and more relaxed. "Okay, next time I'll talk to him. You good with that, DiNozzo?"

Tony nodded. "Sounds good to me, boss."

"Alrighty then, now let's see about getting this tree decorated. We've got to get this one to sleep before Santa comes," Jackson clapped his hands together as he grinned at his son, then they both laughed as Tony rolled his eyes.

"Funny, guys...really funny," Tony said as he squatted down on the floor and began perusing through the ornaments.

xxxxx

Tony was fully into the spirit of decorating the Christmas tree. Christmas music was playing softly in the background and Tony was happily helping to place the ornaments on the branches as he munched on cheese and crackers. Many of the ornaments were old and unique, heirlooms that had been passed down through the family. "Did someone make this?" Tony asked as he held out a small wooden train.

Jackson smiled, a nostalgic look on his face as he took the ornament out of Tony's hand. "Yep, Leroy did. It was one of the first things he ever carved, must have been about what, nine years old?" he asked as he handed it to Gibbs.

Gibbs smiled fondly at the memory of learning to carve when he was just a boy. He'd loved it from the start, but never would have dreamed of the lifelong passion he would have developed for working with wood. "Looks a little bit clunky," he said with a chuckle as he looked at the little train with his now expert eye.

"I think its great," Tony said, his eyes on the train, a wistful look in his eyes. "I could never do anything like that."

"Sure you could," Gibbs said. "Just need to learn how."

"I couldn't learn," Tony said. "Anyhow...I'm way too old now." He turned his attention to some of the other ornaments, never noticing the meaningful look that was exchanged between Gibbs and his father.

xxxxx

"It looks beautiful," Jackson said gazing at the tree which was fully decorated and all lit up.

"It really does look good," Tony said, feeling very fulfilled with the job they had done on the tree.

"It does," Gibbs agreed with a nod. He then turned his eyes towards Tony. "Go put on your coat. Its cold outside,"

"Huh?" Tony gave Gibbs a questioning look. "Are we going somewhere?"

"We're going to take you for a walk in the woods," Jackson said.

"Now?" Tony asked, looking from one man to the other to see if there was any indication that they were joking. "Is this like Hansel and Gretel? Are you going to take me out in the woods and leave me there?"

"What's he talking about?" Jackson asked Gibbs as he zippered up his own jacket.

Gibbs just smirked. "Don't pay him any mind, dad. Just his weird sense of humor."

"I'm weird?" Tony asked as he walked across the room to retrieve his coat. "Its not my idea to go walking in the woods in the middle of the night."

Gibbs walked over to a closet and opened the door, retrieved a wool cap and scarf which he tossed to Tony. "Put these on."

Tony started to laugh. "Are you serious?" he asked staring back at Gibbs incredulously.

Gibbs nodded. There was a slight smile on his lips as he looked back at Tony, but his eyes were serious so Tony good naturedly put the cap on his head and wrapped the scarf around his neck. "There, happy now, dad?" Tony asked mischievously.

"Yep," Gibbs replied as he started walking towards the back door of the house with Jackson and Tony following behind him.

"How come you two aren't all bundled up?" Tony asked as they stepped outside into the cold night air and he quickly shoved his hands into his pockets.

"We didn't have the Plague."

"He had the Plague?" Jackson asked, raising an eyebrow as he turned back to Tony. "The Plague? Really?"

"It was a long time ago," Tony explained to Jackson. "I don't think about it anymore. Obviously some of us still do."

"Kind of hard to forget," Gibbs said, then whispered to his father. "He was really sick...he almost died."

It was on the tip of Tony's tongue to say he could still hear Gibbs, but he let it go. It was actually kind of nice that Gibbs worried about him, even though he wouldn't admit it.

The three men walked in silence for a short while. There was a light sprinkling of snow on the ground, not enough to make it slippery, but enough to add to the picturesque quality of the trees lit by the strikingly bright moon. The night sky was clear as well and countless stars could be seen above them. "So are we going somewhere in particular or just walking?" Tony asked.

Gibbs turned towards him then with his finger raised to his lips. "Shh..." he whispered. "You'll scare them."

Tony's eyes widened slightly and he could feel his heart beating more quickly in anticipation of whoever it was that Gibbs was talking about. He half expected to see a bunch of elves dancing merrily underneath the trees. Just then, they came to a clearing and Tony's breath caught at the beauty of the scene before him. Four deer were standing in a clearing. Two of them were drinking from a small pond. They were magnificent animals and the picture it made was like nothing he had ever seen before. He was filled with a sense of tranquility and peacefulness as they stood there silently watching them, hidden behind the trees, until finally, the deer, as one, made their way away from the pond and disappeared into the woods. "Wow...that was just...wow..." Tony finally said, unable to adequately put what he was feeling into words.

"Yeah...we've been coming here for years, ever since I was a little boy," Gibbs said. "I used to think they were Santa's reindeer."

"How..." Tony muddled that over in his mind for a few moments. "They're always here? On Christmas Eve at the same time?"

Gibbs and Jackson both nodded. "Every year that I've been here, sometimes there are only two or three, other times as many as four or five, but they always come," Jackson said quietly. The year before he had been at Leroy's house, but he assumed they had come that night as well.

"Well, isn't that weird though?" Tony persisted. He was trying to really grasp this, but couldn't quite do so. "They come on Christmas Eve...at the same time? How do they know to do that?"

"Don't know," Gibbs shrugged as they started walking back in the direction of the house. "They just do. Some things you just cant explain. Its just one of those things."

"I still don't get it," Tony muttered under his breath. No wonder Gibbs had thought they were Santa's reindeer. It was amazing for him to see what they had seen. He couldn't imagine the wonder and excitement for a little boy who still believed in Santa Claus to see those deer on Christmas Eve.

xxxxx

Tony was very happy to be back in the warmth of Jackson's house and was also grateful that Gibbs had insisted on the hat and scarf. "You like hot chocolate, Tony?" Jackson asked him and he nodded eagerly.

"Okay, be back in a jiffy."

Tony sat down on the sofa and rubbed his hands together. "Cold out there."

"I told you so," Gibbs grinned, taking a seat next to his agent. "Bet you're glad about the hat and scarf now."

Tony smirked as he looked back at Gibbs. "Just wondering about why you didn't throw in some gloves too."

"Honestly, I thought you had them in your pockets or I would have," Gibbs admitted with a chuckle. Maybe he was being a trifle overprotective, but he had never been able to erase the image of Tony under the blue lights at Bethesda, struggling to breathe. If erring on the side of caution helped to keep him healthy, he was all for that.

Tony smiled and then shifted his gaze towards the Christmas tree. "This is really nice...its cozy. I never had a Christmas like this before. My family's Christmases were just...artificial, I guess describes them best. Not just the tree, but the sentiments as well. This...this is just much better...much more real..." He looked back at Gibbs then, his eyes filled with emotion. "I'm really glad you kidnapped me, boss."

"Me too, Tony," Gibbs replied softly. "Me too."


	3. Christmas Day

**AN: Thank you all so much for your really nice comments to the last chapter. I apologize for not getting a chance to respond personally to your reviews, but I really wanted to get this posted by Christmas and wouldn't have been able to if I had done so. As always, I appreciate each and every one of you who has taken the time to write. You're all great.**

**This isn't completely finished, but it does get our guys through Christmas day. I'm planning to finish it up, hopefully by Monday. For those of you reading "Hello Again," I'm sorry to leave feverish Tony lingering, but its hard mixing this one with the angst (plus the general holiday craziness). I'll get back to that one just as soon as I possibly can.**

**For all of you who celebrate, I wish you and your families the very merriest Christmas and may 2011 be good to all of you :)**

**(Mild spoilers to the movie, 'A Christmas Story' in this chapter). Enjoy and thanks for reading, as always :)**

**xxxxx**

Tony drained the rest of his hot chocolate and yawned as he watched the sparkling lights on the Christmas tree. Gibbs glanced over at his agent, then at his father and gave an exaggerated yawn of his own. "I think I'm going to head to bed," he said.

Jackson nodded in approval. "That sounds like a good idea to me, son. I'm going to do the same. You're welcome to sleep in my room, young man," he said to Tony who shook his head..

"No thanks. I'll be fine sleeping right here."

"He can sleep in my room, dad," Gibbs said.

Tony was very tempted at that offer, but wasn't about to put Gibbs out of his childhood room just so he could satisfy his curiosity. "I'm good on the couch, boss."

"You sure?" Gibbs asked, unable to totally keep back a smile. He knew Tony well and knew he would love to get a chance to go through his room.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

Jackson left the room and came back a few minutes later with pillows, blankets and a heavy comforter. "Don't want you to get cold."

"I don't think that will be happening," Tony said with a grin as he eyed the huge bundle Jackson was carrying.

"He's fine, dad," Gibbs said. "We'll see you in the morning, Tony. Get some sleep or Santa won't come." He and Jackson headed out of the living room before Gibbs glanced back at him with a grin on his face. "Be a good boy, DiNozzo and I'll let you see my room before we leave. Good night."

"Good night," Tony said back to them.

"Don't hesitate to let me know if you need anything," Jackson called out as he and Gibbs started up the stairs. "You sure he'll be warm enough?" he then quietly questioned Gibbs. "I've never known anyone who actually had the Plague before..."

"Yeah well...Tony's kind of unique," Gibbs said with a chuckle. "Don't worry about him, dad. He's far from fragile. He doesn't get sick often." He was beginning to regret having brought up the Plague in front of his father His intention hadn't been to worry him.

Downstairs, Tony was still sitting where they'd left him, gazing at the tree through half-closed lids.

Finally, he dragged himself off of the sofa and got ready for bed, brushing his teeth and changing into a pair of well-worn sweats. He then settled himself onto the sofa, bundling up under the blankets and comforter, feeling a sense of warmth and security he didn't really remember having felt before. He had chosen to leave the lights of the Christmas tree on, wanting to soak in as much Christmas spirit as he could before the holiday came to an end. It didn't take long at all for him to fall asleep with the lights of the tree still merrily twinkling and filling the room with a warm glow.

xxxxx

Tony awoke to the sound of low voices murmuring in the kitchen and the unmistakable aroma of stuffing. He had slept like a log, never awakening even once during the night. He slowly stretched his muscles then got out from under all the heavy covers that were over him. There was an additional blanket on top of the pile that he was pretty sure hadn't been there the night before. His eyes went toward the tree and there were presents under it that definitely hadn't been there last night. Okay, that was a little bit embarrassing, to have been that sound asleep that he hadn't heard anything going on around him. He wasn't usually such a heavy sleeper. He stood up and then headed out into the kitchen. Gibbs was sitting at the table, drinking from a mug of what Tony assumed to be coffee and Jackson was hard at work, stuffing a turkey. "Merry Christmas," Tony said.

"Good morning, Tony. Merry Christmas to you," Jackson greeted him enthusiastically.

"Merry Christmas, Tony. Coffee's over there if you want some," Gibbs said, nodding towards the coffee maker.

"That stuffing smells amazing," Tony said as he went and poured himself a cup of coffee. "Do you need help with anything?"

"You can open the oven door if you don't mind." Jackson picked up the pan with the freshly stuffed turkey in it. Tony rushed to open the door and Jackson put the turkey in the oven. The pan that Jackson had made the stuffing in was still on the table and Tony was eying it hungrily. "Go ahead." Jackson laughed and handed Tony a spoon which he eagerly accepted and began to scrape the pan. Gibbs just rolled his eyes, but he had a faint smile on his face and he didn't say anything. He was just happy with the comfort level Tony was now at and that he truly seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Oh, this is outstanding," Tony said, grinning appreciatively. He could hardly wait for dinner.

"You like blueberry pancakes?" Jackson asked.

"Love em," Tony replied, nodding.

"Go get ready to go out while we get breakfast started," Gibbs said as he stood up.

"Another walk in the woods, boss?" Tony questioned, looking at Gibbs with open curiosity.

Gibbs smiled. "Nope, something different today."

"You sure you don't want me to help?" Tony asked as he lingered in the doorway of the kitchen. Gibbs gave him a pointed look in return to which Tony replied, "right, boss, getting ready,"and rushed off.

Jackson chuckled as he pulled out the canister of flour and busily set to work gathering the other ingredients needed for the pancakes. "You've certainly got him well trained."

"He's a good agent," Gibbs replied, taking the cellophane off a package of fresh blueberries, and popping one into his mouth.

"But he's more than an agent to you," Jackson went on. "You're obviously very fond of him."

"Well, yeah dad, I'm not denying that," Gibbs said. "I brought him here, didn't I?"

Jackson nodded. "I can see why you're fond of him. He seems like a good boy. Its a shame his own father doesn't see what he has."

Gibbs shrugged. "I've tried to talk to the man about it, but every time I think I've made any progress, it turns out I really haven't. In any case, his loss is my gain."

"Our gain, son," Jackson said, smiling.

xxxxx

"So, where are we going?" Tony asked from the back seat of Gibbs' car.

"You'll see," Gibbs replied.

Tony sighed and sat back in his seat, contenting himself with watching the passing scenery. A short while later, Gibbs pulled the car into the parking lot of Berwick Hospital. Tony's eyes widened. "Are we visiting someone, boss?"

Gibbs pulled the car into a parking space, ignoring Tony's question. The men got out of the car and Gibbs popped open the trunk. "Make yourself useful, DiNozzo," he said, pulling out a cloth sack filled with wooden toys from the trunk and handing it to Tony. Gibbs gave a smaller sack to his father and pulled out the largest sack for himself. They then headed into the hospital. A few minutes later, they entered a large room where a full fledged Christmas party was underway. "Pass them out. Tony," Gibbs said, already in the process of doing just that.

There was a boy of about eight or so, sitting in a wheelchair, with both his legs casted. He was off by himself, watching the festivities with a sad expression on his face. Tony walked over to him and handed him a model of a battleship. "Merry Christmas."

"Thank you," the child said politely, looking at the ship with a glimmer of interest in his eyes. "This is really cool. Did you make it?"

"No, not me." Tony shook his head and nodded towards Gibbs and Jackson. "They made them."

"That your dad and grandpa?" the boy asked.

Tony considered the question for a long moment before slowly shaking his head. "No...well, they're kind of like that, I guess..."

The boy nodded. "My dad's away...on business, but my mom and sister will be here soon. This Christmas kind of sucks. Hate this wheelchair."

"Yeah...I'd imagine that can't be much fun..."

"No...but the doctors said I'll get better...I just have to be patient..."

"That's not always easy though." Tony said knowingly.

"No...but my dad said I have to be brave about it, need to be a man..."

"Yeah...my father used to say stuff like that too," Tony said, a far away look in his eyes as he remembered conversations with his dad which had included similar words. "But I think its alright to just be a boy..."

"That's what my mommy says..." the boy said with a sudden smile which was contagious, causing Tony to smile back at him.

"Mommies always know what's best."

"I think so too," the boy said.

Tony spent a few more minutes chatting with the boy. He learned that his name was Robbie, and he had been the victim of a hit and run driver. He had already had two surgeries on his legs and still needed to have at least two more. Tony thought he was really brave to be taking it so well. Finally, he went on to other children and quickly emptied out the sack.

"All set?" Gibbs asked as he and Jackson looked at him expectantly.

Tony nodded and headed out after them. "Merry Christmas, Tony!" Robbie shouted. The child looked happy now, his mother and little sister having arrived.

"Merry Christmas," Tony called back, waving at the boy.

"Looks like you have a fan," Jackson commented.

"Not me," Tony shook his head. "You guys are the ones who made all these. I think its great. The kids loved them too and they're real old fashioned toys. They use their imaginations to play with them, not like video games and all the techno gadgets kids have today."

Gibbs chuckled. "I don't know, Tony...you're pretty fond of those video games yourself."

"Yeah, I admit that, boss," Tony said, grinning, "but these are great too. I would have loved to have toys like this when I was a kid. They're amazing."

"Well, maybe you'll make some amazing toys yourself one of these days, Tony," Jackson said, smiling at Tony's look of disbelief, "but right now we need to get back home to check on that turkey and I believe there are some presents under the tree that need opening as well."

xxxxx

"Merry Christmas, dad," Gibbs handed the small package to his father and watched as he opened it, looking both expectant and a little bit nervous as he waited for his father's reaction to the gift.

"This is beautiful, Leroy," Jackson said as he took the silver watch out of the box and examined it.

"I know you already have a watch," Gibbs began, talking uncharacteristically quickly, "but you've had it for such a long time, as long as I can remember and I thought maybe you'd like a new one, but if you don't like it, I can return it and get you something else..."

"Its perfect," Jackson interrupted. "You're right...I could definitely use a new one."

"That's good, dad...that's good," Gibbs said, a relieved smile on his face. "Because I actually had that one engraved and it might have been kind of tough to return it..."

Jackson turned the watch over in his hands and looked at the engraving on the back, "I Love You Dad." He swallowed hard against the lump he could feel forming in the back of his throat and blinked quickly against the tears he could feel beginning to form in his eyes. "Thank you son," he said, giving Gibbs a quick, but heartfelt embrace.

Next, Jackson handed Gibbs a large, flat package which Gibbs carefully began to open. Once he saw what was inside, he was speechless at first, just staring at the photograph in the intricately carved wooden frame. It was a picture from a Christmas long ago, Gibbs was about four or five years old, watching a train that was set up to go around the tree. His parents were smiling at him, their arms around each other. "I...I don't remember this picture," Gibbs said after a long silence.

"Well, you were very young, Leroy. That picture was taken by a neighbor of ours, Jim Masterson. He moved away shortly after this was taken. I found this picture up in the attic, then had it blown up and restored."

"Its a great picture, dad," Gibbs said. "And...you did a beautiful job on the frame... Thank you..."

"You're very welcome, son."

xxxxx

Jackson gave Tony a vintage blue and black plaid wool jacket with a hat and scarf, but his "Make sure you wear this the next time you visit, if its cold," meant even more to him than the gift itself. Now Tony eagerly began to unwrap the first of two boxes Gibbs had handed him. Once he had it opened, he stared at the gift in amazement. "I...I don't know what to say." It was a carved model of a Ford mustang. The car had been meticulously carved, perfect in every detail, then polished with a clear Laquer to protect the finish and keep it gleaming. "It...its perfect, boss...its beautiful." Tony couldn't even fathom how long it would have taken Gibbs to make the car. It was just another thing which clearly showed Tony how much Gibbs really did care about him. "Thank you so much..."

"You're welcome."

The next gift got a bit of a different reaction. Tony opened it and looked puzzled more than anything at the X-Acto knife and set of blades. "That's the best tool to use when you first learn how to work with wood. Tomorrow will be lesson number one," Gibbs explained quietly. "There's no one better to start you off than my dad."

"And Leroy will continue teaching you once you've gone back home," added Jackson, smiling.

"I just...I ...I don't know if I can do it," Tony stammered. "I..."

"Relax, Tony," Gibbs ordered gently, patting his shoulder encouragingly. "There's no pressure with this. If you don't like it, you don't have to keep on with it, but at least give it a chance. Who knows? It might be really worthwhile."

"Okay...I'll try," Tony said, giving Gibbs an uncertain smile.

xxxxx

"Now what would you like to do?" Jackson asked. "The three men were lazily lounging in the living room, overly stuffed from the delicious turkey meal they had just eaten.

"I think I'm too full to do much of anything," Gibbs admitted as he contentedly patted his stomach.

Tony glanced at the clock then smiled faintly when he saw the time. "Have you guys ever seen 'A Christmas Story?'" he asked.

"You mean the nativity story?" Jackson asked.

"No, 'A Christmas Story,'" Tony said, more excitedly now. "There's a marathon every year and another showing is just about to start."

Gibbs shook his head. "Can't say that I have."

"We've got to watch," Tony said. "Its an old fashioned Christmas movie about this little kid, Ralphie, who wants a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. Its hilarious."

"I think I had one of those guns," Jackson said, with interest. "I'll watch the movie if you want to."

"Fine with me," Gibbs said, tossing the remote control to Tony. "Go ahead, find your movie,"

Gibbs and Jackson exchanged another of the many amused looks that had passed between them as the movie progressed. Although both found the movie to be very funny, Tony's ongoing commentary and obvious delight in the film were proving to be even more entertaining.

"This kid is such a no-mind," Tony said laughing at Ralphie's friend, Flick whose tongue was firmly frozen to the flagpole outside his school.

"Kids do stupid things, DiNozzo," Gibbs said, smirking.

"Yeah, I know, boss, but that really takes the cake," Tony said, shaking his head then shuddering slightly, not even wanting to imagine what that would feel like.

"Oh, this part is great." Tony was laughing uproariously at Ralphie's father's outrage at the Bumpus hounds who were demolishing their Christmas dinner. "I'm sure glad those dogs didn't get at our dinner. Oh keep watching...The next part is really great, they're going out to eat now." He quieted down for a bit as he watched the next scene then broke into laughter once again. "This is just about the funniest scene," he said, laughing along with the family after the Chinese waiter decapitated the cooked duck.

Gibbs didn't bother to point out that Tony had already said that more times than he could count throughout the course of the movie. He was just gratified to see Tony having such a good time. As far as his plan to show Tony a nice Christmas, Gibbs felt it had been a complete success.

**Merry Christmas, everyone!**


	4. Carving and Heading Home

**AN: Finally managed to get this one finished. Thanks so much for all the really nice reviews. They are so appreciated. Wishing you and your families all the best in 2011 :)**

xxxxx

"Easy now...just go with the grain of the wood," Jackson instructed patiently. Tony was diligently working at trying to carve a fish out of block of basswood, which was the easiest kind of wood for a beginner to work with. Jackson had actually wanted to start Tony out using a bar of Ivory soap and a plastic knife, which was how he had first started out and Leroy as well. However, Gibbs had been pretty sure that Tony would balk at learning that way and take it as an insult, being a man and not a small boy.

Gibbs watched the lesson with interest. Tony wasn't doing too badly at all, though he did tend to get frustrated at times when the carving wasn't going quite as easily as he wanted.

"Ouch!" Tony dropped the piece of wood onto the workbench as the knife slipped and he accidentally sliced his thumb instead of the wood.

It was a minor cut and Gibbs bit back a smile as Jackson cleaned and applied a Band-Aid to Tony's wounded thumb. They had tried to get Tony to use a thumb and finger guard for the two most vulnerable locations likely to be cut, but the younger man had stubbornly insisted that such a measure was unnecessary.

"Oh go ahead, boss. You know you want to." Tony smiled sheepishly at Gibbs.

"Want to what?" Gibbs asked, genuinely at a loss as to what Tony was talking about.

"Say I told you so."

Gibbs just grinned . "I don't think that really needs saying, do you?"

"No...guess not." Tony returned to his carving, proceeding a bit more slowly and cautiously now. Finally, he had it finished to the best of his ability and presented it to Jackson, doubt written all over his face.

"Well, Tony. I think you did a wonderful job with this," Jackson said, beaming as he looked over the carving then passed it to Gibbs.

"Not bad, DiNozzo. Not bad at all," Gibbs said, honestly impressed with the work Tony had done. It was actually a lot better than he had expected for a first effort. "I think you may have some potential if you'd like to keep on with it."

"Really?" Tony met Gibbs' eyes and could tell that he was being truthful with him, not just telling him what he wanted to hear.

Gibbs nodded. "Really."

Jackson passed Tony a can of lacquer and a brush. "Now you can finish it off."

Tony carefully applied the finish to his little wooden fish and looked genuinely proud of the final result. Gibbs and Jackson exchanged a long look, both very pleased with how the lesson had turned out.

xxxxx

"I'm going to make some turkey soup," Jackson said as he glanced out the back window. It looks like a nice day out there. Why don't you two go for a walk? You can show Tony the woods in the daylight."

"You trying to get rid of us, dad?" Gibbs asked, a look of amusement on his face.

"Of course not. Just thought it would do you some good to get out for a bit."

"Okay," Gibbs nodded in agreement. "Come on, DiNozzo." The two men went to retrieve their coats and headed outside. It was a cold afternoon, but the sun was shining brightly and as Jackson had said, it was a nice time for a walk.

"You look like you were born here, Tony," Gibbs said, glancing at his agent who was bundled up against the afternoon chill in his new jacket, hat and scarf.

"I'd imagine this was a pretty nice place to grow up..."

"It was, but nothing's ever perfect. My dad and I have only been working things out over the past couple of years or so. Its been a long time coming."

Tony nodded then sighed, his eyes sad. "Yeah, that may be true, boss, but at least your dad tries. Mine is in Monte Carlo for Christmas."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow and gave Tony a questioning look. "You didn't..."

The younger man shook his head. "No...I didn't give him the money, boss. Not this time. Maybe he got it from Prince Omar. Hell, maybe he stole it. I don't have a clue how he got it."

"Well...I'm glad you didn't give it to him," Gibbs admitted. He knew it really wasn't his place to be telling Tony what to do or not to do with his money, but he didn't want to see him taken advantage of either. He sensed Tony could easily fall prey to Senior if the man chose to manipulate him. So far though, Senior didn't even bother enough with Tony to try.

"Aw, you're not worried about me, boss, are you?" Tony asked with a teasing smile, but his eyes were serious. "You don't have to worry...I don't have any expectations that he's all of a sudden going to turn into a candidate for 'Father of the Year...'"

"I just don't want you to get hurt, that's all..." Gibbs replied quietly.

"I won't," Tony replied. "Besides...you and your dad have given me more of a family Christmas than I've ever had before...and I really appreciate everything you've done for me. This was the nicest Christmas I've ever had..." He ducked his head down shyly when he said the last part, staring intently down at the ground.

Gibbs stared back at Tony for a long moment then placed a gloved hand on his back. "It was a pretty nice Christmas for my dad and I too. Trust me, if it had just been the two of us, there likely would have been some disagreements. You being here helped to stave those off."

"Well, glad I could be of some help then," Tony said. He was beginning to feel some sadness that the weekend was quickly coming to an end.

"You definitely did. My dad really likes having you here."

"Yeah?" Tony asked. "Really?"

"Of course he does," Gibbs said with a nod. "Do you think he'd be teaching you woodworking if he didn't? He already asked me about inviting you back for Easter. So, I'm officially inviting you. No tricks or driving you out here without asking your first."

Tony smiled as he listened to Gibbs' words. "Thanks...I'd like to come here again."

"Glad to hear it,"Gibbs said, returning Tony's smile as they continued to walk. My dad will be too."

xxxxx

"Well...this is it," Gibbs said to Tony as the younger man followed him into his old bedroom.

Tony looked around with undisguised interest, taking in everything he could. The room was pretty much what Tony would have expected from Gibbs...bare bones, neat as a pin. There was a made up twin bed, covered with a patchwork quilt, a dresser and a desk. There was also a shelf on one wall covered with assorted medals and trophies which caught Tony's eye. Tony went over to it and picked up one of the trophies. It was first place in a marksmanship competition. The other awards were all similar. "Gee, boss...were you always an overachiever?"

Gibbs smirked but said nothing, watching as Tony made his way to the dresser and looked at the portrait on top of it. "Nice picture," Tony commented, recognizing Gibbs' mom from the photo Jackson had given Gibbs on Christmas Day. There was also a carved model ship sitting by the photograph. "This is beautiful," Tony said, admiringly.

"Thanks." Gibbs walked over to his desk and pulled a book out of the top drawer which he handed to Tony.

Tony smiled when he read the title on the cover, Stillwater High School Yearbook. Tony sat down on the edge of the bed and slowly started going through the pages. He stopped when he got to Gibbs' picture. The young man looked deadly serious in the photograph. Tony decided not to comment though and just silently went through the rest of the yearbook. "Thank you for letting me see this," he said as he handed the book back to Gibbs.

Gibbs took the yearbook and put it back into the desk drawer before turning back to Tony. "Come on...let's head back downstairs. I think my dad's turkey soup should be just about ready now. You're in for a real treat."

xxxxx

Jackson handed Tony a large thermos of the turkey soup he had enjoyed so much the night before and drew the younger man into a warm embrace. "I'm very glad you spent the holiday with us, Tony. I hope we'll see you at Easter."

"Thank you so much for having me," Tony said, returning Jackson's hug. "If we're not on a case, I'll be here for Easter." Tony then dug into his jacket pocket, pulled out the fish he had carved and handed it to Jackson. "I thought you might like to have this. I'll bring you something new when we come back and hopefully you'll see some improvement."

"Why, thank you, Tony," Jackson said, seemingly touched by the simple gesture. He then turned his attention to Gibbs and hugged him tightly. "It was really good to see you, son."

"Good to see you too, dad. You take care of yourself."

"You too."

"All three men looked a bit emotional at this point, but were trying their best not to show it. "Come on, Tony," Gibbs said gruffly. "We've got a long drive."

"Thanks again," Tony said to Jackson, waving as he got into the car.

"Call me when you get home," Jackson said to Gibbs, then watched the car as it pulled away, waving until it had totally disappeared from his sight.

xxxxx

Gibbs was silent as he drove and Tony, wanting to respect him, remained silent as well. After a short while though, it became more and more difficult not to speak and he was focusing all his energy on keeping quiet. The radio wasn't even on and Tony tried to concentrate on the passing scenery.

"Well?" Gibbs finally spoke.

Tony started slightly with the sudden breaking of the silence in the car. "Well what, boss?" he asked, shooting a puzzled look at Gibbs.

"Well, why aren't you talking, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked. "You're usually jabbering away a mile a minute about something."

"Uh...I kind of thought you wanted it quiet," Tony replied.

Gibbs couldn't help but smirk at his agent's answer. "That's never stopped you before."

Tony shrugged. "I don't know...this is different."

"How so?"

Tony sighed, unsure exactly of how to answer. "I don't know...you just spent time with your dad and stuff...I don't want to intrude on your thoughts."

"Well, that's thoughtful, DiNozzo, but entirely unnecessary. You can talk."

"Okay...Can I turn on the radio?" Tony asked.

Gibbs nodded and Tony turned it on, but was still somewhat at a loss for words so he kept switching from station to station, unable to decide on one.

"Dammit, Tony. Are you trying to drive me nuts?" Gibbs snapped. "Pick one already or turn it off!"

Tony left the radio on the current station and settled back in his seat, resuming his focus on looking out the window. Gibbs then decided it was up to him to jump start the conversation or it was going to be a long ride home. "So...when would be a good time for your next woodworking lesson?"

Tony glanced at Gibbs hesitantly before answering. "Oh...you don't have to worry about that, boss...I'm not going to hold you to that..."

Gibbs sighed, trying to keep his irritation under control. "What do you mean? I thought this was all settled. You said you liked doing it. What's the problem?"

"No problem," Tony said, shrugging. "I just figured I'd let you off the hook. Thought you probably had better things to do with your time."

"So, now you're telling me how I should be spending my time?" Gibbs asked.

"No...I..."

"And you were just giving my dad a load of bull about bringing him back some improved little project at Easter? Or was that whole Easter thing just lip service and you're not planning on doing that either?"

"I didn't say that," Tony protested hotly. "I am planning on going to your dad's for Easter. I just...I don't want to be putting you out is all."

"When my father taught me how to carve, do you think I was putting him out?" Gibbs asked, forcing his tone to be softer and more patient.

Tony shook his head. "No...but that was different. You were a little boy..his son..."

Gibbs hesitated briefly. Talking about emotions was definitely not something he was comfortable with and it was obviously not Tony's strong point either, but sometimes these things were unavoidable. "Tony...I know you're not a little boy," he began tentatively. "But...are you still really not getting the way I feel about you? Even after the weekend you just spent with me and my dad?"

Tony resumed staring out the window, not knowing how to answer. He was beyond uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had taken.

Gibbs shook his head, frustrated that this wasn't easier. "You are like a son to me," he continued. "I like spending time with you. That's what families do. If I didn't feel like that, I never would have brought you with me to Stillwater. My father feels the same way...you're family..."

Tony felt his cheeks flush as he listened to Gibbs, knowing how hard it had to be for him to say what he was saying, knowing he had to say something in return and wondering why it was so difficult to get the words out. "I...thank you...you have no idea what that means to me and...and I feel the same way," he said, shooting Gibbs a brief, but heartfelt look.

Gibbs smiled to himself glad that some progress had finally been made. "So how about Sunday afternoon for your next lesson?"

"Sunday sounds great," Tony replied, also smiling. He was already looking forward to it.


End file.
